Molecular Tests

Among the many molecular tests we offer, HIV monitoring (HIV viral load), CD4 monitoring and HIV drug resistance are some of them.

HIV monitoring (HIV viral load)

One of the best ways to monitor the activity of HIV in an infected person is by measuring the number of HIV copies in a blood sample. This test is called a viral load. The test we use is a test internationally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Studies have shown that the test we use detects all the known HIV 1 genotypes.

The test is extremely sensitive and is capable of detecting as few as 40 HIV copies/ml, which is considered undetectable and is the aim of treatment. The test is not influenced by other pathogens or the drugs that you take.

CD4 Monitoring

The CD4+ cell is the cell that HIV infects and eventually destroys and is a good measure of your immune system. We can use the same blood sample that is sent to us for HIV viral load to measure CD4+ cell numbers. The result value that we give will be expressed as CD4+ cells/ul.

HIV Drug Resistance

There are currently some very effective drugs that are used to treat HIV. Unfortunately some situations arise where HIV develops resistance to these drugs. It is, however, possible to analyze the genetic material of the resistant HIV to determine which resistance mutations the virus has developed/acquired. Knowledge of these mutations can influence the choice of treatment options – thus this information is important for the effective management of HIV.

We can perform an HIV drug resistance test using the same blood sample that was submitted for the HIV viral load and/or CD4 test.

The molecular tests we offer are below:

DNA Relationship Testing

Paternity Testing (SANAS accredited) – please click  Paternity & DNA Relationship Tests for more information.

HIV & HIV Monitoring

  • HIV 1&2 ELISA (Ab)
  • HIV PCR (Qualitative)
  • HIV VIRAL LOAD (Quantitative)
  • CD4 & CD8
  • FULL BLOOD COUNT (FBC)
  • ALT (ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE)
  • AST (ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE)
  • CREATININE
  • HIV DRUG RESISTANCE SANAS accredited

TB Testing

  • MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS (MTB) PCR
  • MOTT IDENTIFICATION SANAS Accredited
  • MDR MTB (RIF & INH Sensitivity) SANAS Accredited
  • XDR MTB (FLQ, AMK, CAP Sensitivity)
  • MOTT IDENTIFICATION & MDR MTB (RIF & INH)
  • MDR MTB (RIF & INH) & XDR MTB (FLQ, AMK, CAP)

GeneXpert Testing

  • GeneXpert MTB & RIF RESISTANCE
  • GeneXpert CARBAPENAMASE RESISTANCE

Meningitis

  • BACTERIAL MENINGITIS PANEL
  • VIRAL MENINGITIS PANEL 1 (CMV, EBV, VZV, HSV)
  • VIRAL MENINGITIS PANEL 2 (AdV, EV, HPeV, MV, B19)
  • CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV)
  • ENTEROVIRUS (EV)
  • EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS (EBV)
  • HERPES VIRUS (HSV) 1 & 2
  • HERPES VIRUS 6 (HHV-6)
  • MUMPS VIRUS (MV)
  • VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS (VZV)

Respiratory

  • VIRAL RESPIRATORY PANEL 1 (Influenza & RSV)
  • VIRAL RESPIRATORY PANEL 2 (AdV, EV, MPV, PIV 1-4)
  • VIRAL RESPIRATORY PANEL 3 (HBoV, HRV, CoV)
  • BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY PANEL
  • VIRAL & BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY PANEL
  • BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS & PARAPERTUSSIS
  • CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE
  • H1N1 VIRUS
  • INFLUENZA A & B VIRUS
  • LEGIONELLA PNEUMOPHILA

Hepatitis

  • HEPATITIS A VIRUS (Qualitative) SANAS accredited
  • HEPATITIS B VIRUS (Qualitative) SANAS accredited
  • HEPATITIS B VIRUS – VIRAL LOAD SANAS accredited
  • HEPATITIS B VIRUS – GENOTYPING
  • HEPATITIS C VIRUS (Qualitative) SANAS accredited
  • HEPATITIS C VIRUS – VIRAL LOAD SANAS accredited
  • HEPATITIS C VIRUS – GENOTYPING
  • HEPATITIS E VIRUS (Qualitative) SANAS accredited

Gastrointestinal (GI)

  • VIRAL GI PANEL
  • BACTERIAL GI PANEL 1
  • BACTERIAL GI PANEL 2 (E.coli focused)
  • MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE
  • RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV)
  • HELMINTH PANEL
  • PARASITIC GI PANEL
  • ADENOVIRUS (AdV)

Other Infections

  • ACANTHAMOEBA
  • BABESIA SPP.
  • BARTONELLA SPP.
  • BORRELIA SPP.
  • BK VIRUS
  • BRUCELLA
  • CORYNEBACTERIUM DIPHTHERIAE
  • CHLAMYDIA PSITACCI
  • HAEMOPHILUS DUCREYI
  • HELICOBACTER PYLORI (& Clarithromycin Resistance)
  • HERPES VIRUS 8 (HHV-8)
  • JC VIRUS
  • LEPTOSPIRA SPP.
  • LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES
  • MALARIA DETECTION & IDENTIFICATION
  • MEASLES
  • PARVOVIRUS B19
  • PNEUMOCYSTIS JIROVECI (PCP / PJP)
  • RICKETTSIA SPP.
  • RUBELLA
  • TOXOPLASMA GONDII
  • TREPONEMA PALLIDUM

Nucleic Acid Amplification – Panels

VIRAL GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) PANELNorovirus GI, Norovirus GII, Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus, Sapovirus
BACTERIAL GASTROINTESTINAL PANEL 1Campylobacter spp., Clostridium difficile toxin B, Salmonella spp., EIEC / Shigella spp., Vibrio spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Aeromonas spp.
BACTERIAL GASTROINTESTINAL PANEL 2Clostridium difficile hypervirulent, E.coli O157, EHEC (stx 1/2), EPEC (eaeA), ETEC (lt/st), EAEC (aggR)
HELMINTH PANELStrongyloides spp., Necator americanus, Ancylostoma spp., Ascaris spp., Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis spp., Taenia spp., Enterocytozoon spp / Encephalitozoon spp.
PARASITIC GASTROINTESTINAL PANELGiardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium spp., Blastocystis hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Cyclospora cayetanensis
BACTERIAL MENINGITIS PANELEscherichia coli K1, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Group B Streptococcus, Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae
VIRAL MENINGITIS PANEL 1Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Herpes simplex virus type 1, Herpes simplex virus type 2, Human Herpes virus 6, Human Herpes virus 7, Varicella-zoster virus
VIRAL MENINGITIS PANEL 2Adenovirus, Enterovirus, Human parechovirus, Mumps virus, Parvovirus B19
VIRAL RESPIRATORY PANEL 1Influenza A virus, Influenza B virus, Respiratory Syncytial virus A, Respiratory Syncytial virus B, Flu A – H1, Flu A – H1pdm09 (H1N1), Flu A – H3
VIRAL RESPIRATORY PANEL 2Adenovirus, Enterovirus, Parainfluenza virus 1, Parainfluenza virus 2, Parainfluenza virus 3, Parainfluenza virus 4, Metapneumovirus
VIRAL RESPIRATORY PANEL 3Bocavirus, Rhinovirus, Coronavirus NL63, Coronavirus 229E, Coronavirus OC43
BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY PANELMycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis
VIRAL & BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY PANEL Adenovirus, Coronovirus 229E, Coronovirus HKU1, Coronovirus NL63, Coronovirus OC43, Human Metapneumovirus A&B, Influenza A, Influenza A H1, Influenza A H3, Influenza A H1N1/pdm09, Influenza B, Parainfluenza virus 1, Parainfluenza virus 2, Parainfluenza virus 3, Parainfluenza virus 4, Rhinovirus/Enterovirus, Respiratory Syncytial virus A&B, Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae